I'm in Illinois and play Lucky Day Lotto daily and Illinois Lotto each draw. I had not heard a word about payments being suspended until a few days ago. When I first heard that they were suspending the payments until a budget is agreed on, I wasn't worried. I figured they would eventually come up with a budget and everyone would be paid if the reason they are suspending payments is really due to the budget fight.

What has me concerned now is that I haven't read one article that says "don't worry, the money is still there". I want to know if the greedy Illinois politicians have pilfered the lottery fund like they have every other fund in this state. The fact that no-one is reassuring us that the money is still there is making me think payment suspensions may not be due to a lack of budget agreement but actually a lack of funds. I would also like to know why we haven't heard about this before now if it has been going on since June? Seems pretty sketchy to me.

We all know this state is broke. I am sadly suspecting they have even raided our lottery fund and it is gone too.

C'mon relax. This is Illinois we are talking about. One way or the other, they find a way to screw the people anyway.

Since lotteries are suppose to generate the funds that pay the prizes totally independent of the state budget it does seem strange that the state would continue to sell tickets, collect the monies and not paid the prizes. Most of the money for the MM prize came from other states that contributed 30% of their sales to the jackpot.

..Out here in California, proceeds from the State lottery are not tied in any way of the State budget. When the citizens of California voted on having a lottery back in the 80's- that was made perfectly clear to the voters.It is as it should be.l don't blame these folks for lawyering up.Send a signal to the politicians.

People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it- George Bernard Shaw.

A long and winding roadUnited StatesMember #17084June 10, 20054532 PostsOnline

Posted: September 12, 2015, 4:39 pm - IP Logged

Had this discussion on how when budgets are halted, money is still allowed to flow into the government. take Car Registrations, Toll booths, Fines, Tax collections. Each flowing in and being applied. Issuance of payments that are outgoing (halted), ergo, no Monies released til Budget is approved. Some State contracts that are pre allocated are considered part of the former contingency of payments.

Has anyone researched how long Illinois has from time of claim to make payment?

Side note: Business's that utilized the bankruptcy laws did so to REGROUP a company game plan. Its legal and not to be considered a poor business decision. Chrysler did the same thing and by doing so, regrouped and started to modify the changes necessary. I care zilch for the platform of Trump, yet as a business man, he utilized the laws to his benefit. No different then folks who chose that recourse during the real estate collapse.

Had this discussion on how when budgets are halted, money is still allowed to flow into the government. take Car Registrations, Toll booths, Fines, Tax collections. Each flowing in and being applied. Issuance of payments that are outgoing (halted), ergo, no Monies released til Budget is approved. Some State contracts that are pre allocated are considered part of the former contingency of payments.

Has anyone researched how long Illinois has from time of claim to make payment?

Side note: Business's that utilized the bankruptcy laws did so to REGROUP a company game plan. Its legal and not to be considered a poor business decision. Chrysler did the same thing and by doing so, regrouped and started to modify the changes necessary. I care zilch for the platform of Trump, yet as a business man, he utilized the laws to his benefit. No different then folks who chose that recourse during the real estate collapse.

It doesn't matter how it's phrased. No one ever files for bankruptcy because they're financially sound. Berkshire Hathaway isn't filing bankruptcy for any restructuring they'd do. Just because the law makes these provisions isn't a sign of great business acumen to have to utilize them. The person running a company well enough so they don't have to file bankruptcy is the smart one. There's a reason filing for bankruptcy is always the last resort and not the first. In the same way I wouldn't take budgeting advice from someone who's been on welfare four different times, though, to paraphrase you, it's a legal provision and a smart move for those who need to regroup, I'm not going to hold up anyone as being a financial wiz who's had to regroup on four different occasions. But that's just me.

I might wake up early and go running. I might also wake up and win the lottery.

I remember a business law teacher saying that putting coins in a soda machine was an implied contract between you and the machine. Once you put the coins in you rightfully expect the machine to deliver the soda.

I'm no lawyer but wouldn't the payout schedule on the back of the play slip or the possible prizes on a scratcher be an implied contract, once the ticket is played or the scratcher is purchased?

The only problem is that no lottery game I've seen gives you a definite date of disbursement. It's always phrased like "disbursement of funds are usually within x weeks". It varies and it's ambiguous. Maybe we need the rules of the game and the laws in the state amended so that disbursements must be made within a certain period of time or the state will have to pay interest as well as penalties. When a resident owes the state, fees and penalties are tacked on when payment is late. Why can't the reverse be true. Right now all they need to say is that funds will be paid eventually and the implied contract still holds. There's no breach of it. That's a problem and it's a problem no one thought to address until now.

I might wake up early and go running. I might also wake up and win the lottery.

one of the laws governing raffles and lotteries and basically any prize draw out here in Australia, is that the company running the draw has to actually have the prizes on offer before the draw. not qute sure if that applies to state lottos tho. i know there are now tele marketting scams , or well much like a scam, but also techinaclly legal offering all sorts of prizes. on late night TV, so i know its not just charity raffles having to follow the rules. Amazing the state over there can get away with this.

Now is the Time to get these people out of their elected jobs, and renew the whole field. The Lottery should be a Totally different Entity, and not connected to any type of State budget. The Lottery Fund is just that , The fund for the Lottery.

Amen brother

100%

Working on my Ph.D. "University of hard Knocks"

I will consider the opinion that my winnings are a product of chance if you are willing to consider

they are not. Many great discoveries come while searching for something else